![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() His treatment is quite entertaining and scientifically sound. He cites an abundance of sf and fantasy authors, including concise story summaries, as well as an appendix on Newton’s laws of motion. Adler even explores the prospects for the survival of human civilization. So there are neatly done treatments of space travel-orbital vacations, colonies, space elevators, the challenge of interstellar travel, advanced propulsion systems, the Fermi “paradox,” world-building, and alien communication. ![]() There are no exercises included, only a note indicating that homework problems can be found on the publisher’s website. He does “back of the envelope” calculations evoking the basics: conservation of mass and energy, basic gravitation, simple equations, estimates of orders of magnitude, how to use time dilation, and much else. He uses specific stories to carry forward detailed explanations of physical phenomena in ways helpful for physics instructors looking for examples for their classrooms. Adler mixes up sf and fantasy, but sticks close to what is plausible-using equations, real numbers, and estimates-and generally conveys the way constraints work in stories. This well-organized book combines science and science fiction as a teaching tool and could work as a text for an imaginative course. Wizards, Aliens, and Starships: Physics and Math in Science Fiction. ![]()
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